I am in an advanced development group at Sandia.  For the last 8 years
we have used commercial PWBs and solder-assembly methods/suppliers for
all of our projects.  These were typically 6Ux160mm VME boards, double-sided
SMT with some thru-hole connectors, 8 to 10 layers, nominal 5/5 lines/spaces,
180 Tg FR4.  Components included PBGAs, 25-mil and 50-mil pitch SOICs and PQFPs,
0.5mm and 0.4mm pitch PQFPs, etc.  Speeds from 10-80MHz CMOS to high-speed ECL
and GAS RF stuff for RADARs and the like.  Some controlled impedance required.

We are brainstorming issues related to commercial suppliers for future
weapons component PWBs.  Can anyone help me with a comparison of
commercial specs. vs "mil" specs.  I don't know much about the mil-specs
but I thought I heard they are being eliminated.  Is there and IPC spec
that can be called out that will give the weapons guys the equivalent of
their old mil-P-55110 boards?  My impression of most good PWB vendors today
is that we can't buy a bad board no matter how hard we try.

The most convincing argument would be a side-by-side comparison of the
required tests for meeting the IPC commercial spec vs its military spec
equivalent.

Thanks in advance,

Gary P.
---
                                  Gary D. Peterson
    _/_/_/   _/    _/  _/        SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES     _/_/_/
   _/       _/_/  _/  _/        P.O. Box 5800, M/S 0503            _/_/
  _/_/_/   _/ _/ _/  _/        Albuquerque, NM 87185-0503     _/_/_/_/_/_/
     _/   _/  _/_/  _/        Phone: (505)844-6980           _/  _/_/  _/
_/_/_/   _/    _/  _/_/_/_/  FAX: (505)844-2925             _/  _/_/  _/
                            E-Mail: [log in to unmask]        _/_/_/


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